Ceramic materials are used in a variety of electronic devices, such as diodes, sensors, and power generation devices. These ceramic materials include, but are not limited to, Group 14 materials, such as Silicon Carbide (SiC); Group 13-15 materials, such as gallium nitride; Group 12-16 materials, such as zinc telluride; and group 12-15 materials, such as cadmium arsenide.
To be effective in their use, these ceramic materials must be polished to achieve a relatively defect free surface. One method for achieving such a defect free surface is by chemical mechanical polishing (“CMP”). This method involves chemically altering the surface of the material being polished and/or polishing pad while simultaneously using abrasive particles to remove the chemically altered surface layer. In most CMP methods, the abrasive particles are dispersed in a fluid that also contains the chemicals used to alter the material surface.